List of Succession to the Monegasque Throne - Definition and Overview

Since a constitutional change implemented by Princely Law 1.249 of April 2, 2002, succession to the crown of Monaco passes to the descendants of the reigning prince in accordance with male-preference primogeniture. Should the reigning prince die without legitimate offspring, the succession passes to his or her siblings and their descendants using the same rule of male-preference primogeniture. If these rules fail to produce an heir, a council of regency takes power until the Crown Council selects a new reigning prince from among the more distant descendants of the Grimaldi family. Currently, the line of succession is:

1. HSH Hereditary Prince Albert of Monaco, Marquis des Baux (eldest son of Prince Rainier III)
2. HRH The Princess of Hanover also known as HSH Princess Caroline of Monaco (eldest daughter of Prince Rainier III)
3. Andrea Casiraghi (eldest son of Princess Caroline)
4. Pierre Casiraghi (younger son of Princess Caroline)
5. Charlotte Casiraghi (eldest daughter of Princess Caroline)
6. HRH Princess Alexandra of Hanover (younger daughter of Princess Caroline)
7. HSH Princess Stéphanie of Monaco (younger daughter of Prince Rainier III)
8. Louis Ducruet (eldest son of Princess Stéphanie)
9. Pauline Ducruet (eldest daughter of Princess Stéphanie)
10. HSH Princess Antoinette (sister of Prince Rainier III and granddaughter of Prince Louis II)
11. Baron Christian de Massy (eldest son of Princess Antoinette and nephew of Prince Rainer III)
12. Baron Brice de Massy (eldest son of Baron Christian de Massy and great-nephew of Prince Rainer III)
13. Baron Antoine de Massy (younger son of Baron Christian de Massy and great-nephew of Prince Rainer III)
14. Baroness Laetizia de Massy (daughter of Baron Christian de Massy and great-niece of Prince Rainer III)
15. Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy (daughter of Princess Antoinette and niece of Prince Rainer III)
16. Jean-Léonard Taubert Natta (son of Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy and great-nephew of Prince Rainer III)
17. Mélanie de Lusignan (daughter of Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy and great-niece of Prince Rainer III)
18. Keith Sebastian Knecht (son of the late Baroness Christine de Massy and great-nephew of Prince Rainer III)

• NOTE: Upon the death of Prince Rainer III, numbers 10 (Princess Antoinette) through 18 (Keith Sebastian Knecht) above will automatically cease to be in line to the Throne.

Under the 2002 succession rules, if Prince Albert dies without legitimate offspring, the throne will pass to his sister, Princess Caroline. As a result, her eldest son Andrea would become heir apparent. At that time, he would most likely receive the traditional titles of the heir to Monaco's throne (becoming HSH Hereditary Prince Andrea of Monaco, Marquis des Baux) and assume the Grimaldi surname. His brother and sisters would likely become Serene Highnesses and Prince/Princess of Monaco as well.

After the succession of Prince Albert, his aunt Princess Antoinette and her descendants will lose there places in the line of succession. Similarly, upon the succession of any future child of Prince Albert, Princesses Caroline and Stéphanie and their children will cease to be in the line of succession. Nevertheless, if the line of succession should fail at a future time, Princesses Antoinette, Caroline, and Stéphanie or their descendants would be eligible for selection as reigning princess by the Crown Council.

Until the changes of 2002, the crown of Monaco could only pass to the direct descendants of the reigning prince. These old rules meant that Princess Antoinette was not in the line of succession and that Princesses Caroline and Stephanie would lose their places in line at the moment of Prince Albert’s succession. This created considerable concern that the throne might fall vacant should Prince Albert inherit the crown and then die without fathering a child. The 2002 rules eliminate that concern.

In one respect, the 2002 rules are more restrictive than the previous succession law. Under the old rules, the reigning prince could adopt an heir who would succeed if the prince died without legitimate biological children. Prince Albert could have adopted one of his nephews as his heir, or even an unrelated person. That option no longer exists. Now, if Prince Albert fails to marry and father a child, the crown will automatically pass to his sister or her children.

A biological child can only succeed to the throne if his or her parents are legally married. Thus, someone born out of wedlock, like Princess Stéphanie's youngest child Camille Grimaldi, cannot inherit the crown of Monaco. Such a person can succeed, however, if his or her parents subsequently marry. For instance, Louis Ducruet was born before his parents' marriage. Since Princess Stéphanie later married Louis' father, Daniel Ducruet, Louis can now inherit the crown. Similarly, Camille Grimaldi would join the line of succession if her father, Jean-Raymond Gottlieb, eventually marries Princess Stéphanie. (This scenario appears unlikely because Princess Stéphanie has married and divorced Adans Lopez Peres since ending her relationship with Gottlieb.) Although this rule, called legitimization, has become the norm in the case of ordinary inheritances (i.e. for the property of commoners) it appears that Monaco is the only monarchy to apply it for succession to the throne.

Despite considerable press speculation on the subject, there is no reason to believe that Andrea Casiraghi will ever become prince of Monaco. Although Prince Albert remains single, he can still marry and father children. It has been the custom of recent princes of Monaco to marry only after they actually inherit the crown.

The succession rules, in French, can be found in the online version of Monaco's Constitution (http://www.monaco.gouv.mc/Dataweb/GouvMc.nsf/(ListCh)/8EAC97F956A58C44C12569D1004E6ABF?OpenDocument).